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Wednesday, August 18, 2010

After Careful Deliberation

I have decided that one of the card frames is now going to contain the Pittsburgh Penguins All Time Team. Trib Total Media announced a week or so ago the All Time Team as voted by both fans and local media people and for the most part, with possibly one exception I think it is dead on.

One of the criterion was that it contain players from all eras of the team's history with the exception that current roster players are not eligible. That was one of the sticking points for me since a public opinion vote on all time players was bound to include players of today like Crosby, Malkin, Fleury, Staal, etc. Since these are the guys that won the latest championship, they are the ones that many younger fans and "bandwagoners" remember. For me though, I was concerned with the guys that built the franchise and made it what it is today. Granted, the bulk of the players involved are from the late 80s/early 90s back-to-back Stanley Cup teams but that was a pivotal time in franchise history. However, they didn't forget many of the players of the past that kept this team viable for the pre-Mario years and struggled with the team along the way.

This awesome group will be honored in an interactive display at the Trib Total Media entrance of CONSOL Energy Center. The Trib Total Media Penguins All-Time Team Zone, as it will officially be known, (or "hey, you know that section with all the cool digital stuff about the players") will also include displays honoring other Penguin players, builders and fans. So in honor of that, and since it will probably be a long time before I get to see the real thing in person, I am creating my own All Time Team display with one of the card frames.

Not a bad lineup. I'm not focusing on a certain card either. I couldn't fill this thing with rookie cards even if I tried. Instead, I am picking out a variety of cards that feature the players in their Pens uniforms that are eye catching and can tell a story. Each card is going to be of a separate year and brand. I am trying for no duplication of cards designs. The last qualification is that it has to be a vertical picture. Horizontal won't work since the display has to be mounted upright because of the case tracks.

So far it is looking pretty good. Right now, I am two cards short as I can't seem to find any Randy Carlyle cards in my collection sporting a Penguins uniform (which is really strange). I am also without a Les Binkley in a Pens uniform. Les could be a harder pull since he played so long ago. His 68-69 rookie card is a horizontal shot instead of vertical (although I do still want that for my team collection). My only shots are his 69-70, 70-71 (probably my best option since it shows him in full gear minus a mask which he didn't wear), or 71-72 (which I am already using for Syl Apps spot). If I can find the 04-05 ITG card, he is featured as a Penguin but most of the various reprint/retro sets have him as an Ottawa National. There are a few on the Bay so we will see what happens.

I will try and post the final project when it is finished and in the meantime, figure out what I am using the other one for. I'm guessing Steelers but I can't figure out which yet.

I hadn't considered Meloche since he is a dirty Canadian. Just kidding. Actually since he only played 3 seasons with Pittsburgh, I hadn't thought about him. Despite being their goaltending coach, when I think of him playing in my mind, I see him as a North Star since that's where he spent most of his career during my lifetime. Although, he does have a Cup with the Pens as a coach...hmmmmm...

As for the exception...Tocchet was my "on the fence" guy. Offensively, he had his best year in 92-93 as a Pen. Also, I don't think they win the Cup in 1992 without him. 3 years on the team is hardly time to make a lasting impact (just like Meloche) but he was a gamer, especially come playoff time. So despite always thinking of him as a Flyer first, I let him slide.

I would have rather seen Mark Recchi on the list but considering his on-again, off-again relationship with the team and fans, I think he got left off the list. Plus, since his career has kept him in the Eastern Conference, I think fans feel slighted everytime the Pens face one of his teams so they didn't vote for him. How soon they forget that it was never his idea to leave. The Pens organization always put him in a position where he had to waive his no-trade clause. I still like the Recchin' Ball though.

I would have picked Stackhouse regardless because he was the first real "shut down" style defenseman the Pens had. The funny part is that I remember him being called all sorts of names because he did his job well but without the crushing checks that other big men dished out in the league. He always said that he did what was necessary to protect his end, nothing more. Despite repeatedly asking to be traded to a different team that might actually respect his playing style, he never was. The crazy thing is the fans and media still voted for him.